


Hell Or High Water

by CatTheGrimReaper



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: But writing takes so much time, Corruption, F/F, F/M, I have so many ideas, I really hope I can get this done, Multi, Oh god, POV Alternating, POV Female Character, POV First Person, Post-Series, Third Ending, alternative ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-26
Updated: 2016-01-23
Packaged: 2018-05-03 10:35:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5287394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatTheGrimReaper/pseuds/CatTheGrimReaper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Max couldn't accept that she got godlike powers only to get back to where she started. There had to be another way.</p><p>This is a fanfiction that deals with the aftermath of Max deciding to intervene rather than let the whole bathroom scene play out. But just the task of letting everything go the right way proves to be difficult, especially with her knowledge of the dark things that have happened.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Indefatigable

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! After my little pricefield one shot I now attempt a longer ff. This is my first attempt on a multi-chapter ff and I really hope you enjoy it and stay with me! I have no idea when I will update, but I'll try my best!

She didn't know if there ever even was a decision to be made. Had there been a choice? Could she – could anyone just hold on to something so hurtful, so cruel, like letting your best friend and the love, that would never even have the chance to bloom between you die? She had felt the gunshot as if there was a whole army opening fire at her, although the bullet made its way into the other direction.

„No.“

The word came out steadily, but quietly. She raised her head from her arm and stood up. She felt the stream of time reversing, the feeling of making something wrong right again soothing in her veins. The noise of the conversation reverberated in the bathroom once again. She couldn't make out the words, but she knew that they would be engraved in her brain forever. She experienced this so many times that it had become a constant pain in her soul. That was the reason she rounded the corner and pressed:

„Chloe. I'm sorry.“

The gunshot hurt less than hearing Chloe getting shot. It hurt less than the feeling she would have had if she had to accept this gruesome fate that maybe would have been the most ethic one. But the universe had fucked up too much. Even if this was a mistake, she would bear the consequences, whatever they may be.

  
She couldn't make sense of anything that happened after the deafening sound of the gun. She just fell and found bliss in the sight of Chloe's eyes locked with hers.


	2. Treat me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the first chapter is ready! I hope you enjoy it, I'm still trying to figure out the different styles that come with the different characters. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! Enjoy :)

Sunlight pierced through the closed blinds as if it was trying to stab the darkness that lingered in the little hospital room. The light met the plastic bars of the bed and threw funny shadows on the blank walls.

  
Eyelids fluttered open and immediately shut again as the rays of sunlight met the blue iris that was beneath. Squinting, Max tried to open her eyes again and let them adjust to what actually was dim light, but felt to her as if she was a deer caught in headlights. Slowly she could make out the shadow of an IV line that ended in her hand. She could also see the window but had no chance of looking out of it since the blinds were closed. She tried to turn her head to the left, but felt too weak to even lift a finger. Still unable to think of her situation, her attention was caught by the play of shadows on the walls. She watched as the light danced on the walls and found new forms every second she was watching.

  
It took her full attention to concentrate on this, so that the timid voice that suddenly came from behind her startled her to the point of fear. The adrenaline shot through her and it was only now that she noticed an alarmed beeping sound that came from her left. Her head turned so fast she didn’t even notice. Her vision became foggy for a moment and she felt a pain radiating from her abdomen. Then the world was clear once more and she saw the petrified face of the most stunning person she thought she’d never see again.

  
The frantic movement of those beautiful lips went unnoticed, until the words made their way through the daze that surrounded Max’s mind.

  
“I’m calling a nurse! Max! What is wrong?! Can you talk? Can you hear me? Max??”

  
The words came out so fast that Max had problems distinguishing them from one another. She tried to say something but in that moment the door swung open and a stern looking nurse made her way to the bed. Chloe stepped aside and tried to tell the nurse what happened, but stopped when she noticed she didn’t have anything useful to say.

  
The nurse examined every machine that was in the room, asked Max if she needed pain meds and let Chloe stand by, a grim expression on her face. Finally, she said:

“No worries. I think you startled her. Please be careful around her and stay alert. If something happens, press the button beside the bed. I will notify Dr. Bert that she has awoken.” She made her way out of the room and closed the door.

  
The click of the lock lingered in the room, replaced by the constant noise coming from the heart monitor. The both of them locked eyes but couldn’t quite bring themselves to say anything.

  
After what felt like years, Max fought against the roughness in her voice and whispered: “Wouldn’t have thought this annoying thing would stay intact for three minutes if you’re in the room.”

  
Chloe’s lip quivered and she stepped closer to the bed.

“You dork. That thing is the only sound that reassures me that you are alive.”

The last few words were broken, trying to make their way out before Chloe lost control over them. She tried to stop the sobbing that was inevitable and failed miserably. Her legs gave in and she gripped the plastic handles of the bed so hard that Max could see the strained muscles in her bare arms. She rested her head between her hands and inhaled as much air as she could.  
Lifting her head once again, she carried a sad smile on her face. She looked a thousand years old.

“You know, it’s no wonder you didn’t call me. I’m a shitty friend – Here I am, crying like a baby, when you’re the only one who has the right to cry. You fucking saved me Max. You took a bullet” she breathed hard “you took a bullet for me. I would’ve died if it weren’t” another laboured breath “I, I… Max, how can I repay you?” Her gaze was firm and full of words that hadn’t been spoken yet.

  
Max however, who just watched Chloe break down in front of her, unable to move her hand to reach for her, chuckled a little, before tears began to well up, almost robbing her of the words to say:

“Treat me for Two Whales.”

 

 

 

The body check that Max had to go through couldn’t pass fast enough for Chloe. She lay on her bed, her hands gripping the sheets beneath her. She would've taken every bet that Joyce would be surprised that she didn't have a blunt on. But Chloe wanted to be sober. She had to... to go through everything and make some sense of it. But as far as she was concerned she'd have more luck beating some sense into it than thinking. As many times before in her life she was at a dead end with her thoughts. But she refused to let it go and just wait for everything to play out. Too often she had sat idly by, drink in hand, burning smoke in her lung and contemplated that everything was shit.

  
She rose to her feet and began pacing nervously around the room.

  
“Okay, Chloe, get your shit together. Max is alive. You are alive. Because of Max. Max who hasn't written you in five years.” She wanted to slap herself. “But she saved you. Saved your fucking life. Fuck those five years.”

  
But she abandoned you. Your life could have been so much better if she had been there.

  
Chloe kicked the wall, anger bubbling on her tounge.

  
“I KNOW! I know, but my life could have ENDED today if it wasn't for her! She risked her life for me.”

  
Only now did the big picture crash down on Chloe. She was the most cliche punk there was. A failure, kicked out of school, shitfaced too often to be proud of, a brat to her mother, out of money. Her fingers turned to claws on the beanie on her head. It felt like she would rip it apart any minute now. How could she be so stupid? How could she think that threatening someone, especially this stupid, unstable brat Nathan Prescott, would help her in any way? She felt like such a loser. Shame burned her insides and threatened to choke her as she repressed mighty sobs that were about to burst out of her. She ripped the beanie from her head and threw it against the wall. It slid down and lay there, lonesome and abandoned as Chloe sat on the edge of her bed. She murmured again and again:

“Max is okay. Max is okay”, until a hesitant knock on the door startled her.

  
“Chloe, it's me. Can I come in?” Joyce's voice was muffled by the door, but no door in the world could absorb the sorrow that it swam with.

  
Chloe blinked and did nothing for a moment. Then she took a deep breath and straightened her back. “Yeah.”

  
Joyce opened the door with one hand, balancing a plate on the other. She came up to Chloe's bed and held it out for her to grab.

“I made you eggs and bacon. You skipped breakfast and I wanted you to eat something. With everything that will happen in the next few days and everything that happened up to now, you need it. Please.” Joyce made an encouraging forward motion with the plate until Chloe took it.

  
“Thanks, mom.” Chloe was subdued, which was against every behavior that she usually showed.

  
Joyce sat down beside Chloe and handed her a fork and knife. Silence settled in the room only interrupted by the sounds of Chloe's dishware.

  
Joyce took a deep breath and began:

“Chloe, I can never know what is going on inside you, but I realized I should say this more often. I love you. I wish I would have dealt differently with this whole situation. I was too sucked up in my own grief, in handling everything to distract myself. I don't want to excuse your behavior either but I should have dealt with this whole thing differently. I never wanted to drift away from you. I never wanted you to be in such a situation. I won't punish you, I think you understand what you got yourself into. But if I had paid more attention it may have never come to this. And now that Max is no longer in life-threatening condition, I'm so glad that you didn't have to live through losing someone again. Also I will never be able to repay Max for saving you. I'm” a single tear made its way down Joyce's cheek “so glad that I still have you.”

  
Chloe had stopped eating a long time ago and had just been staring down at her half eaten food. She fought the tears for the umpteenth time today and listened intently to what Joyce was saying. After she was finished, Chloe put her plate on the ground beside her bed with controlled movements. Then, with equally controlled movements she turned around to Joyce and all but collapsed onto her. She just wept, until Joyce's shirt was soaked in her tears. She felt a hand patting her back, but also felt the shaking of Joyce's chest. Both of them just held each other, a few minutes passing.

  
“I love you, too, mom. I'm sorry.” There wasn't anything more that Chloe could have said in this moment.

 

 

 

After Joyce was gone, Chloe lay on her bed once more and thought about everything that was about to come. Tomorrow would be the day she was questioned by the police again and the day on which Max's parents would arrive. The whole thing in the bathroom happened yesterday, but Chloe felt eons away from that moment. She went to visit Max as soon as possible, but she had to go once the doctor arrived to check on everything. They removed the bullet from Max's abdomen, nothing vital was hit. But a shot from this short distance was something serious and so they had to patch her up quite a bit. Chloe was questioned for the first time while Max was in the OR and a counselor was standing by and trying to help her. The card with her number was lying on Chloe's desk, she was supposed to go there sometime.

  
She tried to sleep a bit, because last night she had by far gotten the worst sleep she'd ever had. She dozed off a few times but was only granted with more exhaustion than before. Bile rose in her throat whenever she thought about that prick Nathan. He shot Max and her camera had broken and all he did was panic and babble weird shit instead of doing something. Luckily her step-fuck David was outside the bathroom and heard the shot. He intervened and got Nathan arrested on the spot. Max was taken care of and everything played out as fine as it could go. If you could call Max getting shot “fine”.

  
Max. All she could think about was her.The five years she missed her. It had seemed so long, but the moment Chloe saw her face, it was like she never moved away. She would never forget the way Max's eyes seemed to glow before she collapsed. There were so many things in them in that moment that Chloe could never fathom them all. A kind of familiarity was written on her face before it lost all its expression to the blank face of unconsciousness. It was weird. On the one hand, Chloe and Max grew so much apart in those five years. She didn't know much, but she knew that Max had a scholarship for Blackwell and probably had to leave behind a great life in Seattle. Chloe herself was a drop-out. She drove a rusty truck, was in a drug dealer's debt and had been looking for her missing best friend for six months now. She was bitter and a stoner. Max would never approve her lifestyle.

  
But what was that spark that she had seen in Max's face? She would probably never know, but it gnawed at her insides and wouldn't let her rest.

  
She had to do something for Max. A get-well-soon-party? No, she didn't even know Max's friends. All she could think of was a card and balloons but that was so stupid that she forgot about it fast. How can you repay someone who saved your fucking life? You couldn't.

  
Chloe stood up and walked over to her drawer. She pulled out an old photo of her and Max. They were dressed up as pirates, ready to take on the world. Over the years she had looked at this photo countless times, bitterness eating away at her soul. She tried to forget, she tried to hate, but she couldn't.

“I could never hate you.”

Her voice was almost non-existent after the hours of silence in her room. She cleared her throat and stood up straight. In a serious, deep voice, dripping with commitment she said:

“I will be the best captain you can have, Max.”

She put the picture in her pocket and put on her jacket. She would go to the hospital again, to see if she could visit Max again. She packed up her things, grabbed her car keys and wanted to leave, when she noticed something on the shelf where her hi-fi system was. She stopped in her tracks, bending down to grab the old camera that had belonged to her father. She inspected it and even found some Polaroid paper in it. Images of herself and Max flooded her mind. This camera had seen the best times of Chloe's life, so it would be only fair to give this to Max. She would try to be happier for Max's sake.

  
She rose again and held on to the camera. A small smile spread on her face.

“Could've sworn it was your eighteenth birthday not too long ago.”


	3. Under pressure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, here is the second chapter! It brings the plot forward a bit. Sorry that it's almost twice as long as the last, but there were many things that had to be mentioned. Thanks for over 300 views and 23 kudos! That means a lot to me - and now, enjoy :)

Chloe hated squeaking doors. This was the only thing going on in her head when she entered the police station. The sound that door made was unnerving to say the least. She wanted to get away from it, so she wouldn't have to hear it again. Making her way to the office where she was supposed to go, she mainly looked to the floor, trying to avoid the thoughts that tumbled around in her mind the whole time, almost letting her overlook the scene that was going on at the end of the corridor.

What she saw put spots of red in her vision. Quite literally, since the target of her anger wore a white shirt underneath his trademark red jacket.

Nathan Prescott was standing there, shoulders slouched, hands fumbling in front of his body, talking with a police officer – or rather listening to the man beside him talking to the officer. The man was rather broad and his light brown hair, that was the exact same color as Nathan's, was well-styled in a business haircut.

Chloe instantly knew that this had to be Nathan's father, Shaun Prescott.

His posture was reserved, back straight, hands calmly at his sides. Although he seemed to be in a rush, apparently trying to get the officer to talk somewhere private. At least it looked like it, the way his gaze always slipped away from the officer and to somewhere Chloe couldn't see.

 _Don't want to be caught with your disappointment of a son in public, huh, old fucker? It would be a shame if people looked through your_ [ _façade_ ](http://www.dict.cc/englisch-deutsch/fa%C3%A7ade.html) _and see what a fucking pig you are,_ Chloe thought to herself.

 The officer seemed to be trying to calm Mr. Prescott down, but only achieved the opposite. The way Nathan's father went quiet and bent slightly forward was a clear indicator that he had something wholly unpleasant to say. He raised his hand – probably to gesture with it – when Chloe saw Nathan ever so slightly twitch. Whatever Arcadia Bay's richest man said, it seemed to set the officer in motion. They moved towards a door that was out of the bluenette's eyesight, granting her a better view on Nathan, who had been slightly covered by the big stature of his father. The way he walked and looked around as if anticipating the next hit and the way he had twitched when his father had raised his hand reminded Chloe of a dog – lured with a treat but greeted with a whip.

If she had been in another situation, she would have wondered what his father had done to him when he heard of the incident in the girl's bathroom. But Chloe wasn't, so she just cursed Nathan and his whole family of assholes. Since there was nothing more to see, she continued on to the office where she had to go through yet another questioning.

 

 

 

Having visions of going through a maze of lockers, being chased by your friends as well as your foes was a disturbing thing for once. But the second time wasn't any better, really. Max was being chased by Frank, screaming something about beans, constantly avoiding replicas of Warren who tried to convince her to go 'APE, APE, APE'. She couldn't believe she had to go through this again.

_I thought I saved Chloe and Arcadia Bay? Why do I have to do this? Why again? Why, why._

“Why, why, why?” She had spoken aloud, not realizing she was once again in the Dark Room, though she was alone. Looking around, seeking help, she suddenly noticed the tape that bound her to the chair being replaced by rope that, too, restrained her movements, but not in a way that was frightening. Her head spun and she wondered what the hell was going on when Chloe entered the room. Max wanted to warn her, scream that she had to get away before the photographer lost her once more, but she didn't hear any words coming out of her mouth. The blue haired punk continued her way towards Max, catching her whole attention. All Max could see was Chloe, so she realized rather late that the scenery around them had changed. They no longer were in the Dark Room but in Chloe's room. Max hands were still bound, but not to a chair but to the corners of Chloe's bed.

_What the fuck?_

Chloe had the look of a predator when she began to crawl towards Max, letting her hands brush over a few sensitive spots along the way, including the brunette's thighs, her hips and her breasts.

_When did I lose my clothes?!_

The hands were gentle, cupping Max's cheeks and radiating warmth. Soft thumbs caressed Max's face, stroking over her lips. Chloe leaned in, her breath hot on Max's face. Max was flustered, not thinking clearly and she just watched, holding the air in her lungs as Chloe's lips came closer, almost touching hers.

 

Max jerked up, her eyes snapping open, the breath that was caught in her chest escaping in a shocked noise.

Her head fell back on the pillow and she blinked rapidly in an attempt to clear her mind. It took a whole while for her to get her breathing under control and she raised the hand that wasn't restricted by an IV line to brush her bangs away.

_Why OF ALL THINGS did my brain mix up these two?! What the hell is wrong with me?_

She had an answer to this, of course, since she went through hell and back the last week. Or rather this week. Or... argh, she couldn't really sort everything out.

Immediately she was lost in thought about the events of _her_ last few days, when a knock on the door startled her.

“Come in!”

The face she saw didn't really add much to her effort of sorting out the events – actually it destroyed everything she had achieved so far. She felt the heat in her cheeks and prayed to Dog that Chloe wouldn't notice how flustered she was. But said punk seemed to be oblivious to Max's inner turmoil as she closed the door. Turning around, the bluenette threw a small smile in Max's direction.

“Hey, Super Max. I'm glad you got your color back, it was awful to see your face all pale and shit.”

She pulled a chair closer to the bed and made herself comfortable.

“I tried to snatch you a bite from Two Whales but the hospital personnel didn't like the idea. Sorry.”

She shrugged and threw her beanie on the bed beside Max's feet. She ran her hand through her hair and left it more disheveled than before.

Max watched with her mouth open, her eyes fixed on the movement of Chloe's hand. It was only when she was granted a questioning look that she realized the bluenette had asked her something.

“Sorry, zonked out. What?”

“Man, what do they give you? I want some.” She chuckled. “I asked how you're doing. After being shot n' all.” Her eyes darted away when she said the last part, avoiding contact until Max spoke.

“I feel much better than yesterday. I think the stuff they pumped me with when they operated is finally out of my system. When they made their round, the doctor said to me I was very lucky and it won't nearly take as long to heal as it would if something vital had been hit. Good for me, since – when I'm awake – I'm so bored. Did you know that one of the medics broke my phone while he helped me? So I don't even have that to mess around with.”

Chloe grimaced.

“That sucks ass.” Suddenly she winked. “But now I know why you didn't get my sexy pics.”

Max swatted her arm when Chloe laughed.

“So you didn't get any messages, huh? Didn't your friends send you cards or something – flowers or balloons?”

“I'm not allowed to have flowers in here, since this is something like a critical care unit. And no, I didn't get a card. No one beside you is allowed to come here, and since my parents aren't here yet, no one brought anything. But I wonder what they would do anyway. 'Hey, Max, so glad you didn't die. Signed by Kate, Brooke, Warren, Stella, Alyssa' and so on.”

Chloe cackled loudly. “Wow Max, didn't know you had such creative friends.”

Max almost told her that she didn't know a lot of things about her, but she could stop herself. She had to constantly remind herself that this WASN'T the same Chloe that lived through hell with her. It WASN'T the same Chloe that made the decision to sacrifice herself for a town that took everything from her. It WASN'T the same Chloe that she learned to love again in such a short time, it wasn't the same Chloe that kissed her twice...

“I think being shot changes you.” _You would know how much,_ she added in her mind.

“I'm sure it would have changed me to being dead. I think I can never come to terms with this whole thing. It seems so unbelievable. A ton of weird shit has happened to me in the last few months. First Rachel vanishes, then you jump in”, she held her hand out in a dramatic gesture “the mighty hero, sweeping me off my feet. I can't keep up anymore.”

Max felt a sting in her heart when Chloe mentioned Rachel.

Yesterday she had come by a second time, mainly to see for herself that Max was alright. They had been catching up, Chloe telling her everything she already knew. Then, too, she had felt an unbelievable pain in her soul, knowing however this whole thing played out, however Chloe would learn of Rachel's demise, it would break her again. Even though Max was in this confusing position, where she loved Chloe with all of her heart, although she also knew that this wasn't really HER Chloe, but she could be again, she wanted to protect her at all costs.

She had felt all the anguish that the punk had gone through, seen her die, seen her break down twice, seen her on the verge of giving up everything. Knowing that her best friend had to go through some of this again was almost too much to bear. She just hoped that death wouldn't chase her again...

Max's head snapped back to Chloe. She had been looking around the room while contemplating everything, but now she realized something.

“Chloe! Did you, uh, experience something weird while I was in the hospital? Like almost falling off of something? Or almost being hit by a car?”

Chloe looked dumbfounded and just stared at the brunette for a second. Then she found her words again.

“What? I... what? No, I don't think so. Are you really alright?” She reached out, concerned for Max's well-being.

“Yeah, of course.” Max tried to make the whole situation less weird by laughing it off. But that proved to be a big mistake, since the laughter made her feel a stinging pain in her side. She tried to cover up her distress, but Chloe still noticed.

“You shouldn't move too much, I don't want your wound to open up.” This time she reached out and really put her hand on Max's arm, moving her thumb in a soothing gesture.

Max relaxed and let herself enjoy the contact. But although Chloe's touch eased her anxiety, she still questioned: “So nothing unusual?”

Chloe still looked confused but shook her head. “Not since Monday.”

That rang another bell in Max's head. “Monday? Shit, what day is it?”

The other girl took her hand from Max's arm and leaned back in her chair.“Wednesday. Your parents will arrive soon. Why?”

“I, uh, you didn't notice anything... weird, did you? Like... I don't know, crazy weather? Animals acting up?”

“What?” Chloe scowled and looked even more concerned than before. She leaned forward once more and put her hand on Max's shoulder. “Dude, you sure you're alright? The only thing that is weird is YOU. Should I get a nurse? Or do you want to sleep some more?”

The genuine concern was touching and Max realized how strange this whole situation had to be for Chloe. She shook her head.

“No, I'm fine really. Might have had some funny dreams because of the meds. Don't worry.”

Nonetheless the situation was strange for Max, too. Why wasn't there any weather occurrences or dead animals? The sun had already set so there should have already been dead whales on the beach. Then she remembered that she didn't have any visions of the tornado since she saved Chloe, either.

Suddenly there were tons of thoughts in her head, all at once. She told Chloe to turn on the TV, because she wanted to watch the news. While the punk paid close attention, Max used the opportunity to sort everything out. Still she half-watched, looking for clues that anything unusual was happening. She especially wanted to hear something about Kate – or rather DON'T hear anything about her. Shame got a hold on her since she had only now remembered about her.

She tried to sort her actions out, how she had first gone back and handed in her selfie to Jefferson, where everything turned out “right” but the town was destroyed, so she had to go back yet another time. She had ripped her selfie and found her journal burnt after that so she had to get the selfie that Warren had taken and make everything right from that moment on.

Failry certain that she had comforted Kate after the photography class that she had been in just before the gunshot, relieve began to flood her chest as time passed and there was still nothing about any weather occurrences or any incident at Blackwell.

Leaning her head back onto her pillow, she let out a breath, trying to relax herself somewhat. She closed her eyes for a few moments, when Chloe tapped her shoulder, eyes glued to the screen.

“Dude, watch!”

A rising number showed on the right top of the screen, indicating that Chloe was turning the volume up. Max, however, only noticed that subconsciously since the news had her whole attention.

A special report showed footage of Blackwell campus. There were some police cars, not more than seven though, and an ambulance. A video, clearly recorded with a cellphone, captured the frantic movement of students trying to get away from the entrance and police officers frantically trying to get the mass of teenagers under control. The camera caught glimpses of teachers and officials shouting orders, when the video stopped. There was a subtitle saying 'Shots at prestigious Blackwell academy'.

There was a cut and the face of the news anchor was on screen again.

“Coming back to the top story of Monday, where there had been an incident involving Blackwell academy. After the bell that indicated the end of the day, a single shot could be heard, coming from the girls bathroom. The police officials still won't share any information about the cause of that, so citizens are in the dark regarding the owner of the gun. It is now confirmed that there was one victim, an 18-year-old student from Blackwell academy. She survived and is now in stable condition. After an initial disturbance, the students had been evacuated and protected of any harm in a well-executed way by head of security David Madsen. However, he wasn't ready to answer any questions. If there are more news, be sure to get them here at seven p.m. tomorrow. And the weather will be brought to you by...”

Her voice was cut off when the screen turned black.

Max looked at Chloe, whose face looked incredulous to say the least. Her mouth opened in an attempt to speak, but she was practically choked by the anger that burned like fire in her eyes.

“That little fucking prick! How the ever living fuck did that fucking scumbag get away with that?! HE SHOT YOU!” She gripped the bars of Max's bed, her knuckles white, looking as if the skin was about to rip open.

Max shook her head, not believing what she had just heard. She tried to make sense of the fact that the Prescotts weren't being ripped apart by the media after Shaun Prescott's son had SHOT SOMEONE.

She opened her mouth but was interrupted by Chloe's harsh words.

“I KNEW IT! That fucking piece of shit! I knew it!!” She stood up suddenly, starting to pace wildly around the room.

“Chloe. Chloe!” Max tried to get her to slow down and look her in the eye. “What do you mean? What do you know?”

Chloe stopped abruptly, whirling around to face Max.

“He BRIBED them! I saw him in the fucking police station today! Nathan and his Prickscott father. They talked to an officer and that old fucker looked as if he wanted to talk somewhere private. I thought he didn't want people to see his disappointment of a son, but I should have known. I'd bet my ass that the whole police station could upgrade to fucking Lambos for police cars now.”

Max absorbed that information, not knowing how to handle it.

“I can't believe it's the same like last time,” she muttered under her breath, oblivious that she had talked out loud.

Chloe looked at her funny.

“What did you say?”

Max felt her heart fall to the pit of her stomach when she realized that Chloe had very well understood what she just said.

After she had gotten the events of this chaotic Friday right before they had watched the news and she knew that Chloe wouldn't let go of the thing she just said, she thought it was the right time to tell her best friend about everything that happened. Said friend was standing there, still watching Max suspiciously but silently. Although this wasn't the Chloe who Max had known the past week, she still knew that the brunette needed some time to think. She still knew how Max rolled.

 _The power of best friendship,_ she echoed her own words.

With the thought of the unholy night were they broke into Principal Well's office, she was ready to tell Chloe everything. She took a few deep breaths.

“Chloe, I have to tell you something.”

The bluenette grimaced.

“I hella think so, too.”

“Yeah, and I know I'm going to sound crazy, but...”

She was cut off by the door that was opened with brute force and two people racing inside.

“Maxine!” The voice of her mother was full of relieve, but tears stood in her eyes. “Your father and I are so glad. We came here as fast as we could, we're so sorry it took so long! They didn't have any available flights until now!” She had made her way to the bed, carefully hugging her daughter. “Why did you do something so dangerous? I can't imagine if we lost you.” She trailed off, taking one step back to allow her husband to hug Max as well.

“I don't know”, she lied while her father hugged her as if she was a porcelain doll. He straightened up and placed his arm on his crying wife's waist to comfort her. “I couldn't just stand by and watch someone shoot my best friend.”

It seemed as if Chloe just now appeared in the room for Max's parents, since they had only had eyes for their daughter. But now that the other girl was mentioned, neither of them knew what to do. Vanessa continued to silently sob, but Ryan reached out to shake Chloe's hand.

“I'm so glad to see you again, Chloe. These are certainly not the circumstances we would have wanted for a reunion, but we are just happy you both are alive.” A genuine smile spread across his face, wrinkles forming around his eyes.

“Nice to see you two again, too. I don't know what to say, I'm just glad Max was there, although I still can't believe she pulled this off.” Chloe shook her head in astonishment over Max's heroic act once again. “I hope I can repay her somehow.”

Max's mother had recovered so much as to pull Chloe into a hug.

“I know you will. I'm glad you got out of this whole mess.” She squeezed Chloe one more time and then sat beside Max, grabbing her hand and stroking her arm soothingly. Her husband sat beside her, sitting there as if guarding his two girls from the whole world.

Max threw a glance at Chloe, who suddenly seemed to feel uncomfortable in her skin. She snatched her beanie and put it back on her head, slowly making her way backwards to the door.

“So”, she stretched the word for a moment “it was nice seeing you two again. And Max, you have to tell me what you wanted to tell me tomorrow.” She locked eyes with Max, making a face that said _If you don't, I'll be hella pissed at you_. Then she turned around quickly. “See ya!” With that, she was gone in an instant.

Max was happy to see her parents, but she doubted that she would have time to tell Chloe anything after they had arrived now. She knew her mother and she also knew that she would circle around her like a mother hen, wanting to protect her little hatchling from every hint of evil.

She sighed, looking out into the darkness that lay outside the window. While her parents discussed that they had to talk to the doctor and bring her clothes and so on, Max was admittedly a bit annoyed by the thought of her parents keeping watch of every step she took (quite literally she could imagine), but she was happy that she was in this situation nonetheless. Any other outcome would have been unbearable. She thought about everybody at Blackwell, in Arcadia Bay, that would live now instead of painfully dying in the tornado. A tornado which failed to materialize as far as she was concerned. But she didn't want to get her hopes up too high, only to be crushed at the end. Still, she couldn't make sense of the absence of all the Eco-havoc that should have happened.

She postponed these thoughts and looked at her parents, content that everybody was alive.

As if the two had read her mind, her mother suddenly pulled something out of her bag.

“Look, your classmates made this card for you! They say you're a hero – which you are. They wanted to bring you this earlier, but none of them was allowed inside and they didn't want to just give it to a nurse or so. What nice friends you have!” She held out a colorful card.

Max took it and had to laugh about the funny picture of a dog with a bandage around his leg. It read “Get woof soon!” and it was signed by a whole bunch of people, some of which she barely even knew. Max heart skipped a beat when she couldn't find Kate's name at first, but then she saw the delicate handwriting along with a little cartoon rabbit. Even Victoria had signed.

This was the second time that evening Max heart plummeted into a dark void.

_Victoria! I totally forgot about her! I have to warn her! How could I be so stupid?!_

She tried to cover up her distress, tried to calm herself down.

_It's alright Max. You have time left, the winner of the contest won't be announced until tomorrow night. If the party hasn't been canceled..._

_Even if it was, which it wasn't last time, although Kate tried to_ kill herself, _Jefferson will announce the winner tomorrow anyway._

She allowed herself to relax somewhat, but she couldn't quite shake the thoughts that held her mind captive.

Tears welled up in her eyes and she hugged first her mother, then her father.

For now, she tried to ignore her thoughts about saving Arcadia Bay again. She thought that it was enough for a lifetime to do it once, but somehow she had a feeling that this whole thing wasn't over just yet.

 _With great power comes great responsibility,_ she thought to herself with dark humor.


	4. Threats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so sorry it took me almost 2 months to finish this, but I had a few other things to do and I wanted this to turn out as good as possible and so I didn't want to half heartedly write anything.  
> But to cope, this chapter has about 4600 words so it's the longest chapter yet and there really is a lot going on here. I think I now have most of the stuff that I need in order to get the next step of the story covered. But when I will continue, I don't know. But for now, please, enjoy!

Some things could really throw you out of balance. Like getting shot. Or, in Max’s case, a new cellphone. Since she didn’t have anything else to do – she couldn’t even walk around if she wanted to – she had spent almost the whole day setting up the new smartphone her parents had bought her because her old one was broken. Failing to restore her old messages, she was a bit disappointed by the internet for not giving her a proper tutorial. She thought the internet knew everything!

Sighing, she closed the browser and instead opened her messages for the umpteenth time today.

_At least I got all the numbers because of my old SIM-card. I really wouldn’t want to ask for all of them again._

When she had first started her new phone, there were dozens of messages from seemingly everyone at Blackwell. She had spent ages reading and replying to them, sometimes wondering about what she had and hadn’t talked to a particular person about. It was really confusing, considering that for every other human being, the week that Max had just experienced simply hadn’t happened.

 _I think I will never have the same opportunities to make friends with everyone again. I hope I can do it anyway,_ she mused while thinking about all the times her time powers gave her advantages that she wouldn’t have had without them. _Maybe it’s better this way._

She scrolled until she found the contact she was looking for, opening it to read the last few messages.

 **Kate** : Max! I heard what happened and I pray that you are well! Please answer me when you have the opportunity. I can’t believe someone would do such a thing. I hope you get better soon! Xo Kate

 **Max:** Hey, Kate! I’m so sorry that I only reply now! My cellphone didn’t survive the medic’s boot, but I've got a new one now. I’m quite alright; nothing important was hit by the bullet, so in a few weeks I should be as good as new. Then we can do that tea shop trip we planned. But how are you? XoMaxo

There were a few messages after that, but she scrolled until she found the most recent one.

 **Kate:** Can I come to the hospital to visit you? Or is it forbidden?

 **Max:** I would love it if you visited me! You can come over whenever you want.

 

She read them over and over a few times, thinking about this morning when Kate had come over for half an hour because Jefferson’s photography class was canceled for the day. Max was worried why it didn’t take place, finding herself getting more anxious the more she thought about it. She tried to calm herself down, tell herself that it didn’t mean anything since no one had vanished after she was shot, but it was difficult because she knew what that bastard was capable of. There was a very unsettling thought in the back of her mind that told her that Jefferson was probably readying the Dark Room for Victoria. She tried to ignore it, but she could still see his perverted gaze, feel his gloved hand gently pushing her head to the right angles…

She had shaken these thoughts off, concentrating on Kate once more.

At first, they talked about the whole bathroom-incident, but when Max told her that Nathan did that, she suddenly burst into tears and told Max the story of the Vortex Club party she went to. Of course, Max knew about the whole story, but this time, she didn’t advise her to go to the police but rather told her that she would resolve this whole thing, since she now knew for sure that Nathan had something to do with it. She also tried to get Kate to keep her distance from Jefferson, but couldn’t really explain why. Kate promised to be careful, but looked confused nonetheless.

Max had comforted her after that, trying to show her every ounce of support she could find.

 

At that moment, a new message arrived and brought her to the present again.

 **Kate:** I’m so glad that I went to visit you. I feel much better, thank you, Max. But I hope you won’t get into any trouble because of what I told you.

Smirking, Max began to type.

 **Max:** Don’t worry. I’m apparently hard to get out of the way.

She paused. _If you knew how hard._

 **Max:** But seriously, I'll be careful, I promise :)

A few moments passed, and when no new message was delivered, she got out of the conversation with Kate and searched for Victoria's contact instead. Of course, in this timeline she had gotten no message from Victoria stating that they weren't friends, but she nonetheless had her number.

Clearing her thoughts, she prayed that Victoria would have some decency and come visit her in the hospital when she asked her, without Max having to vaguely explain anything on the phone. She wanted to see her in person, so that Victoria couldn't just hang up and do everything Max told her not to do out of pure spite.

Max knew that she had to do this very carefully, since she hadn't really had any moment with Victoria that brought them closer together in this reality.

Clicking on the contact that said _Chase, Victoria,_ she looked at the little phone that indicated the option to call her. She lifted her finger, ready to click it, when she heard a determined knock on the door.

 

 

 

A delicate, perfectly manicured index finger was flexed, knocking on a yellow hospital door. When the owner of said finger heard a muffled _Come in,_ she pushed open the door with a graceful swing of her arm.

Stepping into the room and closing the door behind her, Victoria Chase carried a slightly arrogant expression on her petite face. She looked around the room, absorbing every detail before she walked towards the bed in the center of the room, asking the question that was most important to her.

“Are you alone?”

Max Caulfield looked dumbfounded as she half sat, half lay in her bed, cellphone in hand, lips slightly ajar from the sudden appearance of Victoria.

For a few moments, not a sound could be heard. Then Max shook her head slightly as if to clear it and opened her mouth.

“Yeah, my parents are at the police station and no one else wanted to visit me today.”

Victoria huffed.

“Didn't want to hear the story of your life.”

She made her way to the bed, sitting down in the chair that was standing beside the bed. Crossing her legs and positioning her bag beside her, she looked at Max with a blank expression.

While Max looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a truck, totally unprepared for this situation, Victoria knew what she wanted to say since the moment Nathan entered her dorm room on Tuesday, a smile on his lips but brokenness in his eyes.

She leaned closer, almost hissing the words that would hopefully change the situation of her best friend.

“ _I know Nathan did it.”_

These words resulted in an almost unbearably long pause. Outside, birds tweeted through the rustling, dry and colorful leaves of a dying bush. The steps of someone in high heels could be heard through the door, a piercing, reoccurring sound that soon matched the suddenly nervous heartbeats of the two girls.

They stared at one another, trying to figure each other out. Victoria watched as the tension in Max's features turned into something like... comprehension? As if she had just found the solution to a riddle that had been bugging her the whole time.

But before the brunette could say anything, Victoria snapped: “You know, I'm not here because I owe you anything. I'm just not able to ignore the situation that Nathan is in any longer. You don't have any right to know that, but since Nathan all but snapped and shot you on Monday, I'm not sure that it would be wise if I kept this to myself.”

Max had watched her intently and looked as if she was ready for any news that were about to come.

_Good. Because you will not like what I have to tell you._

“Nathan had always had problems with mental illness. He suffers a lot under the pressure that his name and his father brought onto him and I don't think he can bear it much longer. I'm concerned for his well-being as well as that of others. I can't let him run around with a gun and shoot random people. So I came to tell you...” she was interrupted by Max.

“You mean that Nathan is not in jail? He was in school?!” Her voice grew louder with every word. “Does that mean nobody except you suspects anything? How could he fool everybody?” Her voice was dripping with disbelief.

Victoria scrunched her nose, feeling pity for the other girl.

“You shouldn't underestimate the power that the Prescott's possess in this joke of a town. Nobody knows anything, not even the teachers. The guy that arrested Nathan, David Madsen, knows, but he will think better than telling anyone.” She paused. “But even though you and I are not exactly friends, I can't just let Nathan, unstable as he is, run around with a gun and shoot people. Since you can't expect any help from the police, I thought I should come tell you what you are up against. I don't have a solution to offer, but I at least could tell you what I know.” She tried to look as sincere as possible – since she was – so that Max would know that she didn't just want to make fun of her. She watched the brunette as different emotions wandered over her face, too quick to fathom them all.

After another long pause, Max seemed to gather courage before she spoke.

“I'm glad you came here. And I'm glad you told me that. I actually, uh, wanted to call you, but then you already knocked on the door.” She paused and wanted to continue, but Victoria was faster.

“Why did you want to call me? You couldn't have known I knew that.”

Max shook her head.

“No, that's not it. I don't think you're going to believe what I tell you, but since you just told me that, I hope you trust me even a bit.”

The hipster's cryptic words irritated the blonde. What could Max want from her? She couldn't think of anything, but then Max continued and Victoria didn't have time to think about it anymore.

“So, apparently you know how unstable Nathan is and I know part of the reason for that. You will probably think I'm lying, but I have no reason to do that. I'm serious.” Max took a deep breath and Victoria tried to stop her fingers from clawing into her bag from nervousness.

“Nathan drugged Kate at the last Vortex Club party and brought her to a secret bunker outside of the city. It's beneath an old barn that belonged to the Prescott's for generations. They took photos of her and brought her back home. She can't remember it.”

Victoria was speechless – and that was a very rare occurrence. She arched one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows, incredulity written on her features. She wanted to call Max a liar and had already opened her mouth, but the words stuck in her throat and she had to let go of them. Somehow the way that Max had talked, the sound of her voice and that spark in her eyes told the blond that she was dead serious.

“Okay, it's hard to believe you. Why... How do you know that?”

Max made a face that indicated that she had feared being asked such a question.

“I... actually can't tell you that. But I can prove it. Have you ever been in Nathan's room?”

“Of course I have. And don't tell me something about his dark, weird room. It's the way he is, don't shame him for that.”

“I wasn't going to. I know this will sound creepy as hell, but you have to believe me. If you ever happen to be alone in his room, look in his middle drawer on the right of the door. You will find a note that says something along the lines of 'Hey motherfucker, we need to talk' and a picture of Chloe Price, drugged and half unconscious on the floor. I know how this sounds, but you have to believe me, because I have more to tell you!” Max gripped the sheets of her bed and didn't even try to hold back the desperation in her voice.

Victoria was torn between the friendship and loyalty she felt for Nathan and the fear of what he was capable of. She fought an inner battle and had to remind herself that Nathan DID get a gun and attacked first that punk-bitch and then shot Max. As unbelievable as it sounded, such specific information couldn't just be made up. Also, she wanted to hear what more Max had to say.

The blonde grimaced and tried to sound as superior as possible when she said: “I'm not sure I believe you, but I want to hear what else you have to say.”

Max looked like she was relieved but tried not to show it.

“You will probably get mad at me for saying this, but there was someone pulling the strings. It was Jefferson. He has tutored Nathan in his creepy style and for that Nathan helped him do his business. Or rather, he was forced. That's why he's so on edge all the time. He gets shit from every one! Please, I know you love Jefferson, but I know what will happen tonight. You will be announced as the winner of the everyday heroes contest, but you will never go to San Francisco. He will capture and drug you, too. There's a binder in the Dark Room, waiting for your photos.”

For the second time on that day – and she hated Max for doing that to her – Victoria was speechless. What the fuck was she saying? Mark Jefferson would never do that.

“Okay, I would've bought the thing with Nathan, but Jefferson? How could you think I would believe you?”

Max had a stern look on her face, her expression saying that she was ready to take on an army.

“Did he never say something suspicious about Jefferson? Even if it was cryptic? Hasn't he ever been away for a long time and...” Max suddenly sucked in a huff of air. “Was he in school today?”

Victoria was starting to get pissed. “No, he wasn't. What has that to do with anything? It's not unusual for him to skip a day.”

“But Jefferson was gone, too, right? And I bet they returned at the same time and Nathan was very on edge after that, right? Anxiously looking around?”

Victoria felt her heart drop.

_Shit, that's true. How could she know that? She couldn't possibly be right, could she?_

But then she remembered the conversation she had with Nathan on Tuesday. He kept saying _He will kill me, he will kill me if he finds out I sabotaged his work,_ but she had thought that he meant his father. But now it _did_ make more sense...

Max stopped her train of thought.

“I'm serious Victoria. I will do anything, if only you believe me. Please!”

Max's eyes were glued to Victoria's. The brunette's look was so intense that Victoria almost couldn't bear it.

After a few seconds, she saw a tear welling up in the oceans that were staring at her.

“I believe you.” Max looked as if she was going to faint. “I don't know why, this all sounds like the biggest bullshit you've ever told, but somehow I believe you.” Max slumped down. “But what do you expect me to do? Wouldn't it be suspicious if I wasn't at the party to be announced as the winner?”

The other girl's face was full of disgust.

“They will have the party after all that happened?” Max asked, disbelieving. She shook her head and continued. “Just stick with your friends. Don't ever be alone. Especially not with Jefferson. And whatever you do, _don't talk to anyone about this._ If you mention this to him, he will certainly snap and that would not end well for anyone.”

Victoria absorbed that information, overwhelmed by this surreal situation. She tried to think of something to say, but she was thrown out of balance by this whole thing and couldn't summon her usual bitchy attitude. Instead, she just smiled weakly, tired of this ongoing charade.

“You know, maybe you're not as bad as I thought. You don't give a shit about what other people think. You're actually pretty decent.”

Max beamed at her.

“You too. I hope you'll remember that. And please, stay safe. Call or text me if there is anything suspicious going on.”

Victoria grabbed her bag and stood up. She made her way to the door.

“I will. Thank you.”

 

 

 

 

Chloe picked at her beanie for the umpteenth time that day as she made her way to Max's hospital room. The whole day she had felt weary, like something was crawling beneath her skin, but she couldn't find the right spot to scratch.

She turned around the corner and almost bumped into someone.

“Can't you watch where you're going?”

The voice was so unusually quiet, not the least bit venomous, that Chloe had to look up to be sure of the identity of the person it belonged to.

Victoria Chase seemed to be lost in thought, although she had just more or less snapped at the punk, her face, normally with a mask of disapproval and superiority on it, was painted with all different shades of sorrow and... fear?

Chloe managed to notice all this in a second, but couldn't half as fast make sense of it.

In that instant, Victoria had straightened up and rushed past the blue haired girl, who was dumbfounded by this strange encounter.

She shook it off and went on on her short journey to the desired room.

Wasting no time with thinking twice about what she wanted to talk to her friend about, she entered the room, not realizing that in all that haste she had forgotten to knock.

The picture, that seemed to be playing in half speed just so she could absorb it should have given her the urge to make fun of Max. But for some reason, she couldn't think of anything funny or salty to say because she was just caught off guard.

Max was sitting on the edge of her bed, struggling with the task of taking her shirt off. Chloe could only let her eyes wander from the low waistband of Max's shorts up to her stomach, over her flexed abs and to a visible part of a lace bra that peeked from under Max's half lifted shirt.

The brunette's face was covered by fabric and she stopped in her tracks to ask: “Nurse? Can you help me, please?”

Chloe felt the heat not only rise to her face but also to her neck. She had to glow like a red signal and she was glad that Max couldn't look at her right now.

“Nah, it's me”, the punk tried to sound extra casual, as if she didn't just find her best friend in a situation that she – even if it was unconsciously – used to get a good look.

The blue haired girl made her way to the bed, assisting Max in her quest of changing her shirt, trying to ignore this new urge to check Max out.

_She's your best friends for fuck's sake._

When Max's head poked through the hole in her new shirt, Chloe stepped back and sat down in her usual chair.

“Thanks”, Max huffed, a bit flushed from the exercise and, so Chloe thought, from the pain.

“I actually wanted to call you in anyways”, she continued, “so it's good that you're here now. I have talked to Victoria” - _so that's why she was here -_ “and I warned her about everything that happened-”

“You WHAT?” Chloe's face must have underlined the shock in her voice because she saw Max flinch.

“Let me explain, okay?”

So the bluenette gave her a chance and listened to her explanation silently, only now and then asking a few things, but when she came to Nathan, Chloe lost it.

“What do you mean that fucking jerk-off is going to school?! How the hell did they manage to do that?! Didn't anyone see anything?! That's impossible! I don't... I-” she couldn't think straight, she was consumed by worry, anger and the pain of almost losing her best friend.

“I'm going to kill that prick!!” She screamed, restlessly walking around the room. Her mind began to forge a plan in the back of her mind that had something to do with her holding David's gun to Nathan's head.

Although at first the punk hadn't noticed, Max had gone pale. She looked at Chloe, with a face that brought her to a halt. The photographer's mind seemed absent, her eyes wide, pupils dilated, mouth slightly agape, a single, strong line drawn between her thin eyebrows. With growing uneasiness, Chloe walked over to her, her anger a mere figment in the back of her mind at the sight of Max's sorrow.

While Chloe walked the three steps it took to get to Max's bed, the brunette had started to say something. Chloe tried to figure out, what it was that the other girl was murmuring but she didn't have to try long because suddenly Max snapped out of her trance and gripped Chloe's arms, her fingers clawing into her as if she was never going to let her go again. Where their skin touched, Chloe could feel a burning sensation, like part of Max's sudden intensity was passed over to her best friend.

“Chloe! It's Thursday! I swear to god, if you do something stupid, I'll kick your ass!”

Chloe was shocked, to say the least. She wasn't used to such harsh words from Max, who almost never swore and certainly didn't threaten people.

“What d-”

“Shut up! Chloe, listen to me. If you get the idea to do something dangerous, I won't be there to save you. I'm stuck here. If you even THINK about doing something with that stolen gun you have from David, you can bet your ass that that's gonna end badly. Do you understand?” she was out of breath, exasperation from grabbing Chloe's arms written on her features.

Now it was the punks turn to go pale. She couldn't make sense of everything that Max had said, but _how the fuck did she know about the gun? I didn't tell her that._ She wanted to call Max crazy, wanted to ask what gun she was talking about, but Max _knew._ Chloe couldn't, for a million dollars, say why, but Max knew and Chloe was suddenly afraid. She tried to avert her eyes, but not only Max's hold on Chloe's arms was strong, but also the look in her eyes was so intense that the punk couldn't look away.

“Okay, Max. I promise”, she grabbed Max's arms on her own, and then they just sat there, a bond forming between them that neither could describe.

 

 

 

 

Max was sleeping badly, because she was dreaming about the Dark Room. It didn't take much to wake her up – apparently a door being opened in the dead of night was enough.

She jumped slightly in her bed as she saw a tall dark shadow creeping into her field of vision. A beam of dim, blueish light gave Max the chance to see who the intruder was.

Max sat up in bed, suddenly aware of every detail about her appearance.

Sean Prescott, whose face she could only recall because of a picture she had seen in Nathan's room a few days ago, closed the door and turned on the lights. The brunette was blinded for a moment, which Mr. Prescott used to position himself in a threatening way.

Before Max got the chance to tell him that visiting time was over, he opened his mouth and spoke in a way that proved that he often demanded things and even more often got what he wanted.

“Good evening, Miss Caulfield. I will get to the point right away, since I am a very busy man. I'm terribly sorry for what happened to you. I have never heard of such a tragedy taking place in Arcadia Bay, left alone the prestigious school Blackwell Academy. Since I am Blackwell's biggest supporter, I saw it as my duty to personally apologize for what happened to you. Me and Blackwell Academy want to ensure you'll get back on your feet again and that this dangerous, unknown person that did this to you will be caught as soon as possible. I am, again, terribly sorry.”

Max only sat there, vile rising with every word that left his shithole of a mouth. She was so angry that she didn't even try to be diplomatic and just came straight to the point.

“I wouldn't even believe you if you didn't know that your unstable son did this. I promise you that I will set this whole thing right and show the people the truth. Everyone should know how you really are.”

Prescott _chuckled_. A cold noise in the cold room.

“I don't know what you're talking about, Maxine.” The sound of her name rolling off his poisonous tongue sent shivers down her back. “I came here to apologize in the name of Blackwell and you only have insulting words left for me. But I will oversee this, since you can't be in your right mind after this trauma that happened to you. I mean, who in his right mind would threaten the Prescotts? Every sane person would know that that's a bad idea. And now you must excuse me, I have important business to turn to. Get well soon and have a good night.”

With that, he turned around, shut off the light and left a incredulous Max behind. The beam of light that met his face when he opened the door revealed a smug grin that was seemingly engraved in his features.

Max couldn't do anything but stare at the spot where he stood a few moments ago. His words tumbled around in her mind. With every passing minute that she thought about them, she found new threats that were hidden in his words.

After what felt like an eternity, she tried to shake off what had just happened and postpone dealing with it until tomorrow. She lay back in her bed and grabbed her phone. She turned on the display to look at the time.

When she tried to go back to sleep again, the words of Sean Prescott resonated in her head and no matter how tight she shut them, the time _11:34 pm_ on her phone had burnt itself into her eyes.


End file.
